


put your shoes on, we’re going now

by octoaliencowboy



Series: Moments [11]
Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Un-Beta’d, not any of the characters like present in the fic but, stroke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2019-08-15
Packaged: 2020-09-01 18:29:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20262586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/octoaliencowboy/pseuds/octoaliencowboy
Summary: Dick gets a phone call in the middle of the night that he was not ready for. His family is there to support him.





	put your shoes on, we’re going now

**Author's Note:**

> You COULD read this on its own if you wanted but you should probably read the rest of the series first

Tiger used to be a light sleeper. When he was younger, more paranoid, more on the edge more often. He wasn’t as light a sleeper anymore, now that he was passing middle age. Enough so that he didn’t notice his husband had left the bed until the sound of dresser drawers opening and closing woke him up. 

“Dick?” Tiger squinted into the darkness of the room, where he could just barely make out Dick’s silhouette tugging on a shirt. “It’s the middle of the night.” 

“I know.” Dick whispered. He didn’t turn around, instead facing the mirror above his and Tiger’s dresser, looking at something Tiger couldn’t see. “I…” he took a deep breath. 

“Bruce had a stroke.” Dick wrapped his arms around himself. “I just got the call. He’s in the hospital.” 

Tiger was already throwing the sheets off and crossing the room to squeeze Dick’s shoulder, all notions of tiredness banished. “Are you going there now?” 

Dick nodded. “It sounded really bad…” 

Tiger reached over and handed Dick his cane. He led Dick out of their room and towards the front door, not stopping to change out of his pyjamas. “I’ll drive you,” he said, and Dick nodded again. 

He left Dick leaning against the wall in the foyer while he grabbed their coats from the coat closet. It was lighter there than in the bedroom, from the streetlights outside, and easier to see. 

“Should I leave a note for Layla?” Tiger asked. A second went by with no response. When he turned around, the expression on Dick’s face transformed from haggard and stressed to seconds away from breaking down, his features crumpling up like paper and his mouth twisting into a terrible grimace. His eyes squeezed shut and the cracks already formed on his face deepened into canyons inthe blink of an eye. 

“No, wake her up.” Dick sounded like he was forcing the words out. “She might want to— to say goodbye.” 

Tiger went to him. He took Dick’s trembling hands in his and pulled his husband close. He tucked a lock of gray hair behind Dick’s ear, ducking to look Dick in the eye. “It’s that bad?” 

All Dick did was shake more. He didn’t have to say it for Tiger to understand.

“Okay.” Tiger whispered. “I’ll call Hafsa, too. She’s probably up late studying, anyway. You stay here, I’ll be right back.” 

He started to pull away, then stopped. Instead he pulled Dick closer again, tucking Dick’s head into his neck and squeezing him tight in his arms. Dick’s hands curled into fists against his chest and Tiger felt a certain kind of wetness on his collarbone. He held Dick as tight as he possibly could for a moment longer, the only sound in the dark apartment being Dick’s soft, muffled sobs. 

Only when he felt like they truly needed to get going did Tiger pull back. He cupped Dick’s face with one hand, drawing him up to look at Tiger. Dick hadn’t stopped looking down since Tiger woke up. “It’ll be alright,” he said. “Dry your eyes, love. Save your tears. Your father is not gone yet.” 

Dick wiped his cheeks and nodded. Tiger let him go and handed him his coat. He saw him sluggishly pulling it on out of the corner of his eye as he rounded the corner into the hallway. He took a deep breath, then knocked softly on Layla’s bedroom door. There was the rustling of a moving blanket and a muffled groan from inside. He pushed the door open slowly. 

Layla was curled up under her duvet, facing away from the door. Tiger knelt down next to her bed, shaking her shoulder lightly. 

“Layla,” he said, voice barely above a whisper. 

“What?” His teenage daughter groaned into her pillow. 

“Your grandfather is very unwell. Your dad and I are going to go see him in the hospital. Would you like to come?” 

Layla peered over her shoulder, eyebrows drawn up in sudden worry, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “Grampy Bruce is in the hospital? Is he gonna be okay?” 

Tiger sighed. “We don't know. He might not.” 

“Okay. I’ll come.” 

She rolled out of bed and tugged her shoes on, forgoing socks. Tiger could see clearly the nervous pinch to her eyebrows. When she was ready, which thankfully did not take long, they both went to the front door where Dick was waiting for them, speaking quietly into the phone. 

“Okay, see you there. Love you, bye.” He hung up just as Tiger and Layla rounded the corner. He looked up at them, looking like their were little weights attached to the bags under his eyes, pulling them down and making him look more tired than he already was. 

“Hafsa’s going to meet us at the hospital.” He murmured, pushing away from the wall and putting more weight on his cane. Tiger nodded. 

Layla opened the door, and the three of them walked out of the apartment together. Tiger put his arm around Dick’s shoulders, steadying him, and Layla attached herself to her dad’s other side, for her own comfort as much as for his. 

**Author's Note:**

> If you’re wondering.... the answer is yeah :(


End file.
